Agenda item

            The Director of Parks and Leisure submitted for the Committee’s consideration the undernoted report:

“1  Relevant Background Information

1.1The purpose of this report is to seek Member approval for the diversion of £30,000 from the Support for Sport budget to the “London 2012 Volunteers Bursary” scheme.

1.2The London 2012 Volunteers Bursary Scheme is designed to assist individuals to become a London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Volunteer - or ‘a Games Maker’. 

1.3The application process to become a Games Maker was launched on 27th July, 2010 and closed on 27th October, 2010.  220 volunteers from Belfast have been interviewed (20.7% of NI total).  In order to aid these volunteers a 2012 NI Volunteers Bursary Scheme has been developed through a partnership between DCAL and Volunteer Now.

1.4The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is the lead Government Department in relation to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in Northern Ireland.  DCAL is taking the lead in promoting the Bursaries Scheme and extending the opportunity to potential funders to participate in the Scheme and galvanise their support.  

1.5Volunteer Now leads on the delivery of a sustainable Volunteering Legacy for Northern Ireland in connection with the Olympics and Paralympics.  They are well placed to progress the legacy as the lead organisation for the promotion and development of volunteering in Northern Ireland. Volunteer Now has responsibility for the administration of the 2012 NI Volunteers Bursary Scheme.

2    Key Issues

2.1Games Makers – the Commitment

      Where an applicant is successful in being selected to become a Games Maker - there is the expectation from the Games organisers that they commit to the following:

·                10 days volunteering, over a potential 3 week period;

·                personally arrange and cover the cost of their journey to any applicable training and games time venue; and

·                personally arrange and cover the cost of their accommodation.

2.2Staff Volunteering at London 2012

      The department is aware of a number of staff who have volunteered to become Games Makers and given the commitment required.

2.3It is anticipated that for those successful in being selected special leave would be granted in line with arrangements previously applied to similar opportunities subject to the ability of the business area to release individuals.

2.4Status to Date

·         220 potential ‘Games Makers’ from Belfast have been interviewed.  They will be contacted from November onwards with a decision.

·         Volunteer Now have been appointed to administer the bursary scheme and have developed criteria for applicants.  They will launch the scheme following the first appointments.

·         A number of members of staff (unknown at time of writing) have applied to volunteer at London 2012 and will be required to commit to a minimum of 10 days.  The precedent has been set from previous events were staff received half the time off with pay.

3    Resource Implications

3.1Financial

      Match funding of £30,000 is to be paid to Volunteer Now to be distributed to Belfast ‘Games Makers’.  There is no provision for this amount in this year’s budgets.  However, historically the small grants fund under Support for Sport has been under claimed by clubs due to over estimating their requirements or changes to the scope of their events.  The Leisure Development Unit has estimated that in this financial year there is the potential for at least £30k of unclaimed grant to be available.  It is therefore recommended that this unclaimed Support for Sport grant is used to fund this scheme.

3.2       Human Resources

      Successful staff members will require approximately 5 additional days leave.  Volunteer Now will manage the allocation of funding on council’s behalf.

3.3       Asset and Other Implications

      None at this stage.

4    Equality and Good Relations Implications

      None at this stage. 

5    Recommendations

2.2              Members are asked to:

(i)      approve the recommendation to allocate a maximum of £30,000 to the bursary scheme from the support for sport fund; and

(ii)     agree to the recommendation of staff receiving half the time off with pay as adhered to for previous events.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.